


Heather

by RegretfullyRegretful



Series: Solangelo as TikTok Audios [3]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angst, Arguing, Developing Relationship, Insecure Nico, Insecurity, Jealous Nico di Angelo, Jealousy, M/M, Miscommunication, Protective Jason Grace, Swordfighting, TikTok, conan gray - Freeform, oblivious will solace, powerful nico
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:47:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25273402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RegretfullyRegretful/pseuds/RegretfullyRegretful
Summary: “I’m coming in!” they shouted, pushing the door open.Will Solace walked in and froze, stunned by the sight in front of him. Nico was driving his sword through the ribs of the final skeleton and it crumbled to the ground, mixing with the piles of bones already strewn across the room. Nico’s arm was bleeding, his blood running down his arm and dripping onto the floor.
Relationships: Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Series: Solangelo as TikTok Audios [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1781206
Comments: 5
Kudos: 177





	Heather

**Author's Note:**

> This is based off of a tiktok audio that is the chorus of the song Heather by Conan Gray. Also, kinda funny how I write the exact same trope of Will and Nico arguing all the time, lol

Nico felt hollow. Jason’s voice became muffled as he stared across the campfire. Will was sitting across from them, next to a new camper, _Heather_. Nico watched as Will tossed his head back at something she said, his laugh echoing above the chatter. Heather smiled and he could see how the fire made her eyes seem brighter, happier. Happier than he could ever seem. His fingers twitched as shadows seemed to wrap around the tips of them. He shoved them into the pockets of his jacket and slumped his shoulders, trying to make himself smaller. 

Nico wanted to disappear and he desperately wanted to hate Heather but he couldn’t. Heather was so nice, she was a daughter of Demeter and she radiated life in a way that made Nico’s hair stand on end. Heather was all soft edges and flushed cheeks, every word she spoke was wrapped in warmth and kindness. She was everything Nico would never be and he couldn’t blame Will for liking her. But he still couldn’t help the wave of nausea that hit him as Will peeled off the sweater he was wearing to hand it to her. 

At some point, Jason had stopped talking and started watching Nico. He nudged the smaller boy’s shoulder, trying to catch his attention. “What?” Nico snapped, not dragging his gaze away from Will and Heather.

“What’s wrong?” Jason asked.

“Nothing,” Nico said, his voice steady and cold.

“Don’t give me that, something is wrong,” Jason pushed. He followed Nico’s gaze and saw Will and Heather, “ _Oh_ , Nico.”

The gentleness of Jason’s voice shocked him and Nico finally looked over. Jason was looking at him softly but Nico couldn’t help but spot the pity in his eyes. Anger flared in his chest, filling the emptiness suddenly and completely. 

“Don’t look at me like that,” Nico demanded.

“Like what?” Jason asked, his voice still calm.

“Like- like I’m pitiful. I already know, I know that me and W-” Nico paused, “It’s not gonna happen, I get it.”

“Why do you think that? Have you ever actually talked to him?” Jason pressed. 

Jason had recently started pushing Nico on _everything_. It was his attempt to force Nico to break out of his shell. Normally, it was just forcing Nico to participate in camp activities or giving him a disapproving look when he said something self-deprecating. That was all easy enough to ignore or just get over but Nico did not want to be pushed on this.

“Yes, I’ve talked to him, Jason. We’re friends. Will is my friend. Just my friend,” Nico huffed, trying to keep his temper in check.

“That isn’t what I meant,” Jason scolded. 

“Then what did you mean?” Nico questioned, glaring at Jason.

“About, you know, your feelings,” Jason said, whispering the last part.

Nico felt his blood boil and he was certain that shadows were swirling at his feet now as well. He narrowed his eyes, “No. Why would I? We both know how it would turn out so I don’t really see why I would ever do that.”

“Because you don’t actually _know_ anything, Nico. You can’t just force yourself to be alone for the rest of your life because you think you know everything about everyone,” Jason said.

Nico stood up abruptly and stared down at Jason, “I can do whatever I want, Jason. And you’re right, I don’t know everything. But I know enough to understand that me being alone would probably be for the best!” he shouted.

Jason stood as well, towering over Nico, “Would you stop being so self-deprecating! Nico, I understand that you have had a rough time, even by demigod standards, but nobody hates you! You can’t just isolate yourself and then brood about it! Let _somebody_ help you! Let _me_ help you!”

Jason didn’t seem to be backing down, instead, he looked Nico directly in his eyes, trying to find any emotion other than anger. They stared each other down, shadows were rolling off of Nico and the air suddenly seemed to be filled with static electricity. If either of the boys had been paying attention to their surroundings, they would have noticed the other campers that had stopped to stare at them. 

“A rough time?” Nico asked, laughing dryly, “That’s a really nice way to put it, Grace. Just because you were there for Eros and because you know about some of the shit that’s happened to me, doesn’t make you my savior. I don’t need to be saved or protected. I’m fine by myself!” 

“But you don’t have to be!” Jason shouted, “You don’t have to be alone anymore! I’m here for you, and so are Hazel and Reyna and so many other people.”

“For how long? I don’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to people sticking around!” Nico started.

Jason cut him off, “Let us prove to you-”

“No! No! Just, leave me alone,” Nico screamed, ripping his hands from his pockets and letting darkness curl up his arms. 

Before Jason could say anything, Nico stormed off, barely containing his urge to sprint to the nearest shadow and leave camp. Instead, he rushed to his cabin, slamming the door. The lights in the cabin flickered as shadows clung to Nico, the air becoming cold. Nico wanted to scream but he unsheathed his sword and reached a hand out to the ground. Cracks appeared on the floor of his cabin as the hands of the undead gripped the edge, climbing up. Undead warriors appeared in front of him and Nico shifted his grip on his sword as he raised it and swung, beheading the first skeleton that reached him. He needed to release some anger and this was really the only way he knew how. Sword fighting has become second nature to Nico, he could do it without breaking a sweat but he was so worked up already that it became tiring quickly. Still, Nico fought the warriors relentlessly, summoning more as the numbers dwindled. His chest was heaving with the effort and his fingers were cramping but he didn’t stop. As they lunged at him with rusting weapons, he parried easily. Nico fought in a way that screamed superiority, attacking with grace and poise as he whirled around, disassembling skeletons with his blade. It was a far cry from how Jason fought, who was all structure and formations, distinctly Roman. Even Percy was different. Percy, who was possibly the best swordsman of their generation, could never replicate how Nico fought because Nico taught himself. Nico spent years alone, with only ghosts as company or challengers, and that was evident in every move he made. His swings were broad and deadly, designed to protect himself and show no mercy. There never was any room for other people. As Nico continued to destroy the undead that he summoned, somebody knocked on his cabin door. He didn’t hesitate for a second as he shouted, “Go away, Jason!”

“It isn’t Jason,” a voice called back.

Nico’s movements stuttered and he felt the tip of some ancient spear graze his forearm, slicing through the sleeve of his jacket and cutting him, “Fuck!” he exclaimed. 

“Nico?” the voice asked, panicked. 

“I’m fine! Just- just leave me alone!” he shouted, still fighting the remaining skeletons swarming his cabin.

“I’m coming in!” they shouted, pushing the door open. 

Will Solace walked in and froze, stunned by the sight in front of him. Nico was driving his sword through the ribs of the final skeleton and it crumbled to the ground, mixing with the piles of bones already strewn across the room. Nico’s arm was bleeding, his blood running down his arm and dripping onto the floor. 

“What do you want?” Nico grumbled, sheathing his sword and shucking off his jacket.

“Are you okay?” Will asked, moving forward and reaching to grab Nico’s injured arm.

Nico took a step back, pulling his arm toward himself protectively, “I’m fine. Why are you here?”

“You aren’t fine, you’re bleeding a lot. And you seemed,” Will paused, “Upset. And you’re my friend.”

Nico scoffed and turned around, his back to Will, “Yeah, friends. Cool. Thanks, I guess, but you can go now.”

“No,” Will stated.

Nico shot a look over his shoulder, “What?”

“I said no. I’m not leaving until you let me fix your arm and tell me what's wrong,” Will told him, crossing his arms over his chest stubbornly.

“I said I’m _fine_ , Will. Jason just doesn’t know when to stop.”

“I’m not stupid, Nico. You were upset way before you and Jason had that little argument. I don’t know if I can help but you could at least let me try.”

Nico didn’t know if he was going to start laughing or crying. _Of course,_ he thought, _Will Solace is the one who comes to talk to me._

“You can’t do anything about it, Will,” Nico said. 

“Well, we won’t know that unless you actually talk about it!”

“I don’t want to.”

“I don’t really care if you want to, but you need to.”

Nico was silent, his eyes fixed on a random spot on the wall as he fought back tears.

Will huffed in frustration, “I care about you, Nico! Like, a lot! And I want to listen to you and be there for you!”

Nico squeezed his eyes shut, Will was so close to saying everything that he wanted to hear, and still, it wasn’t enough. Will didn’t love him, not in the way Nico wanted him to, and he didn’t want to burden him with that. He didn’t want Will to look at him with the same pity that Jason did and he didn’t want to make Will feel like he had to pretend to feel the same, so he bit his tongue.

“Please!” Will begged, “Just tell me what you want!”

Even now, when Nico was consumed by defensive instincts, he couldn’t deny Will anything. He would never be able to lie to Will or to ignore him, so he spoke honestly. “You,” Nico whispered, his voice barely audible.

All the energy seemed to drain out of Will as he spoke, “What?”

Nico grit his teeth and whirled around. Tears were running down his cheeks and his face was flushed, “Don’t make me repeat it.”

Will seemed shocked, his eyes were wide and his hands were twitching nervously by his side.

“Nico,” he started, “I-”

Nico cut him off, “No! It’s fine! Really, it’s okay, Will. You don’t have to say anything because believe me, I already know. I shouldn’t- I shouldn’t have said anything. You- you have Heather, I mean, why would you ever kiss me?” Nico’s voice cracked, “I’m not even half as pretty. You gave her your sweater,” he said, all fire draining from his voice as he spoke. 

“It’s just polyester,” Will whispered.

“But you like her better,” Nico snapped. He looked at the floor, his lips trembling and his knees about to buckle, “I wish I were Heather.”

Nico hit the floor, exhaustion from summoning and killing dozens of skeletons hitting him. He was overwhelmed and tired and _afraid._ He hoped Will would leave, just let him sit in his misery and crumbling dignity. He closed his eyes and sucked in a breath, dropping his head into his hands as he curled his knees under himself. His arm was burning and blood was still dripping. It was all over his hand and surely on his face at this point. Nico was sure he looked like a disaster, with tear tracks on his face, smeared with blood, and trembling. _This is why he doesn’t love you,_ Nico thought bitterly, _Why he won’t ever love you._

He was waiting for the sound of the cabin door closing as he hid his face, knowing that as soon as Will left he would start sobbing. Instead, he heard hesitant steps toward him and Will sitting down in front of him. Nico still didn’t look up. He felt a hand hesitantly touch his own and he flinched.

“Nico,” Will spoke softly, “I need you to look at me.”

Nico lifted his head slightly, just enough to peek through his hands and see Will’s face. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting to see, maybe disgust or anger or pity, but he definitely wasn’t expecting to see Will look so broken. His eyebrows furrowed and he lifted his head more, confused. Will seemed to be on the verge of tears and he reached out a hand, lifting Nico’s head up by his chin and stroking his thumb gently across his cheek. Nico couldn’t help but lean into the touch, his eyes fluttering shut.

They were both silent for a moment and Nico could feel the tears start to stream down his face again. He wanted to hide but Will’s grip on his face was firm. He opened his eyes and met Will’s gaze, pleading for something, anything really. Nico steeled his nerves as much as he could so that when Will rejected him, however gently, he wouldn’t completely break down. For a second, Will’s eyes flickered from Nico’s gaze to his mouth and before he could even question it, Will was surging forward and kissing him. Will was kissing him. After a second of stillness, Nico kissed him back, deciding quickly that if this was the only time he was ever going to kiss Will, he needed to take advantage of it. He tried to memorize the way Will’s lips moved against his own or the way his tongue swiped against his bottom lip. He was keenly aware of the warmth from Will’s fingers against his cheek and the way Will’s other hand was resting on his knee. Nico wanted to run his fingers through Will’s golden curls but he was afraid to taint them with blood. He carefully took his cleaner hand and placed it on Will’s shoulder, searching for stability. Just as Nico seemed to gain some confidence, Will pulled away. He had Nico’s blood on his face and he seemed to be painting slightly but he didn’t move his hand off of Nico. 

“I love you,” Will mumbled, “And you’re so stupid.”

Nico didn’t know what to say, he just gaped at Will. As the blond chuckled at him, he snapped out of it and pulled back slightly, “But, Heather?” he questioned.

Will groaned, “I don’t like Heather. I really don’t, she’s nice but almost,” Will huffed, “ _Too_ nice. I don’t know, that sounds crazy.”

Nico smiled at Will, “Well, I’m not very nice,” he teased.

“Oh, I know. I love it,” Will laughed, but he sighed quickly after, “And I really do love you.”

“I don’t-” Nico stuttered, “I don’t want you to say you love me or to be with me because you want to fix me. I’m not a project.”

“Nico, I love you because of who you are now. Not because of who I think you can be and not because I want to fix you. You’re smart and funny and brave and so fucking stubborn. I’m not here to try and change you, I just want to be with you.”

Nico shifted so he was no longer kneeling and leaned forward, resting his forehead against Will’s chest so his head was tucked beneath Will’s chin. Will wrapped his arms around him, pulling him closer. “I love you too,” Nico said into Will’s shoulder. 

“As glad as I am to hear that, I really need to do something about your arm,” Will whispered.

Nico grunted and lifted his head, “It’s fine.”

“See, you say that a lot and it's never true. Now let me look at it,” Will scolded, grabbing Nico’s still bleeding arm and inspecting it. His finger gently traced the skin around the cut and Nico’s skin felt warm and tingly everywhere they touched. Will’s own hand seemed to glow slightly, a warm golden light emanating from the tips of his fingers. Nico couldn’t help but think about how ironic it was that Will literally glowed and Nico was basically darkness incarnate. He huffed out a laugh but it died suddenly in his throat as the wound started to close. In just a few seconds, the only sign that there was ever a cut was the blood drying on his skin. 

“Holy shit, Will,” Nico breathed, “I didn’t know you could do that.”

Will smiled sheepishly and let go of Nico’s arm, “I try not to advertise it. It can take a lot of energy, especially with bigger wounds, so I try to save it for when I really need it.”

“Will,” Nico chastised, “Why did you do that, then? It wasn’t necessary, it would have healed by itself just fine.”

“Nico, it was you. Of course I’m going to do it, you’re always worth it,” Will said to him.

Nico blushed brightly and looked down. “Well,” he huffed, searching for a way to lift the mood again, “Thank you. And what about the glowing?” he tried to tease.

Will grinned, “Oh, that’s nothing. I’m a human glow stick. When I crack my joints, they glow.”

Nico laughed loudly and Will smiled even wider. The blond reached out, pulling the son of Hades toward him and into a hug. Nico let him do it without any resistance as he reached up to lock his arms behind Will’s neck. “Seriously, Will, thank you,” he mumbled.

Will’s grip tightened around him as he spoke, “Anytime, death boy.”

Nico sighed at the nickname but just buried his face in Will’s shoulder. They sat quietly, their breathing in sync with each other. At some point, Will began to hum quietly and Nico could feel himself falling asleep. He wondered idly if he should stand up or tell Will to go back to his own cabin because surely they were breaking a million rules. But he just curled closer to Will and let sleep catch up to him. 

  
  
  



End file.
